World War I
Causes
 Imperialism: each country competing with each
other for unclaimed territories
 Militarism: aggressively building up a nation’s
armed forces in preparation for war
 Nationalism: belief that national interests and
national unity should be placed ahead of global
cooperation
 Alliances: designed to bolster a nation’s security
Alliances
 Germany won Fr provinces of Alsace and
Loraine as a result of war

http://www.bargeladycruises.com/filebin/images/maps/AlsaceLorraine_map.jpg
 Fr wanted territory back to reunited Fr speaking
people
 Otto von Bismarck (Iron Chancellor) untied
German into powerful nation
 Formed allies w/ Austria-Hungary and Italy:
Triple Alliance (Central Powers: center of
Europe)
 Britain, France and Russia formed Triple
Entente (Allies)
Outbreak of War
 Serbia wanted Bosnia, Bosnia claimed by
Austria Hungary

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/maps/map_images/Europe1914.gif
 Gavrilo Princip member of Black Hand, killed
Archduke Francis Ferdinand, wanted A/H to
recognize Serbia’s claim of Bosnia

http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/harrachmemoir.htm
 July 28, 1914: A/H declared war on Serbia
 Russia (rival of A/H) gathered troops to help
Serbia, Fr supported Rus
 Aug 1, 1914: Ger declared war on Rus
 Aug 3, 1914: Ger declared war on Fr
Outbreak of War
Aug 4, 1914: Ger invaded Belgium
(neutral) to get to Fr, Br declared war on
Ger
Aug 12: Br declared war on A/H
America’s Neutrality
Aug 4: Pres Wilson issued proclamation of
neutrality, wanted US to be mediator
Ger invading Belgium made US
sympathize w/ Br & Fr
Allies flooded US markets needing
supplies
1917: US prepared for war against central
powers
British Blockade
Prevent weapons, military goods, & food
from entering Ger
Ger found it difficult to import goods
Unable to grow food, famine struck the
country
U-Boats
 Ger used to respond to blockade
 Any ship found in waters around Br would be
sunk, not always possible to warn passengers
 Amer mad about attacks, Ger promised it would
signal before sinking
 May 7, 1915: U-Boat sank Br Liner Lusitania off
coast of Ireland, 128 Amer on board, Ger said
liner was carrying ammunition and explosives
US Still Neutral
 Wilson did not want a military response to
sinking of liner
 July 1915: U-Boat sank Arabic, drowning 2
Amer,
 U-Boat torpedoed Fr liner Sussex (did not sink)
80 passengers killed
 US warned it would break off diplomatic ties w/
Ger
 Ger agreed, but only if GB would lift blockade, if
not Ger would use unrestricted warfare
End of Neutrality
Wilson won re-election in 1916; He kept us
out of the war
All nations joined in a league for peace
that would work to extend democracy,
maintain freedom of seas, reduce arms
Jan 31: Kaiser Wilhelm announces that
any boat in Br waters will be sunk
Meant US had to go to war
End to Neutrality
Zimmerman Note: telegraph sent by Ger
foreign minster to Ger ambassador in
Mexico; intercepted by GB
Suggested an alliance b/w Mexico and Ger
Ger would help Mexico recover lost lands
(Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona)

http://www-math.uni-paderborn.de/~aggathen/Bilder/zimmermann-telegramm-offen.jpg
Ger sank 4 unarmed Amer ships
Wilson believed it had to join the war
Wartime
Selective Service: required men to register
w/ govt b/w ages of 18-45, married men
and those w/ dependents excused
Women not drafted; Army Corp of Nurses
Weapons: Germans: Big Bertha- cannon,
Zeppelins: gas filled airship, machine gun:
sprayed 600 rounds of ammunition,
poisonous gas
http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/index.htm
Collapse of Germany
Nov 9: people in Berlin rose in rebellion,
socialist leaders claimed the
reestablishment of a Ger Republic
Kaiser left the throne
Eleventh hour, eleventh day in the
eleventh month of 1918; Ger declared a
cease fire
A/H and Ottoman Empires surrendered
years earlier
War at Home
 Women took over men’s roles
 War Industries Board: encouraged companies to
eliminate waste by standardizing products, set
production quotas, allocated raw materials
 Daylight Savings Time: way to take advantage of
longer summer days
 Economy: food rationing
 Finance: steeper income tax, war profits tax,
higher excise tax, war bonds
 Propaganda:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/index.htm
Civil Liberties
Attacks against Amer born in other
countries
Espionage and Sedition Acts: person
could be fined up to $10,000 and
sentenced to 20 years for interfering with
the draft, obstructing sale of war bonds,
saying anything disloyal
Industrial Workers of the World
Social Changes
Flu Epidemic
Great Migration
Women
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
1. end of entangling alliance
2. Freedom of the seas
3. Removal of international trade barriers, tariffs
4. Reduction of armaments
5. Impartial adjustment of colonial claims (selfdetermination)
6-13. adjustment of European boundaries
14. Creation of League of Nations
Treaty of Versailles
June 28, 1919Big Four (Wilson (US),
Clemenceau (FR), Lloyd George (Br),
Orlando (It) and leaders of defeated
nations
Redrew boundaries in Europe, Ger was
demilitarized of air force and most of navy,
reduction of army, return of AlsaceLorraine to Fr, pay reparations, sign war
guilt clause
War Legacy
Horrible post war economy
Ger searching for scapegoats
Austrian Corporal blamed problems on
Jews, socialist govt